trolling motor shaft length

[jb_from_texas]

I have a small 15'6" bass boat.  my current trolling motor has a 48" (measured from the start of shaft to bottom of skeg) shaft, 40lbs MK.

i really want to get a foot controlled motor and go up in thrust. say 56 or so.

i also don't want to break the bank.  i have found some decent deals on e-bay but some of them have just 36" shafts.

would 36 be adequate for a boat my size?  i realize the longer the shaft the better in windy, white-capping conditions.

in short, does size matter that much (keep it clean guys!)?

[Cephkiller]

I think you answered your own question.  If you never fish in strong winds, the shorter shaft will probably work.  You'd be surprised, though, how much shaft you need when the waves kick up.  I usually have about a foot of shaft above the mount but there have been times when I had to drop it all the way down to prevent the prop from breaking the surface.  The waves were 2-3 feet tall and it only happened a few times, but it was there when I needed it.

[ernel]

If you take the measurement from the top of the bow to the waterline, and then add 20" you should be alright. That is the way that I set mine up and never had any problems. If you feel the you are going to be fishing allot of rough water you can always go with a longer shaft.

If your measurement comes out to be 24" to the water line then you 20' add on would make it 44", but it falls between two shaft lengths, then go with the next size up.

[kap1492]

I am in a position similar to yours, except I have a 14" deep-V. When I bought my boat, it came with a MK Endura 40 with a 40'shaft. When the water gets rough the prop comes out of the water which creates a real pain in I disagree. So I decided to go with the MK PD 55 w/universal sonar and a 54" shaft. I spoke in person with a saleman at Cabela's and we talked this issue real hard. My biggest thing was I didnt want to have too much shaft not being able to go in the shallows, and too little that it comes out. The 55 comes with in two models, one with a 48" shaft and 54", the 54 is only $10 more for 6 more inches. The only thing is that if you are fishing shallows and you only need a little bit of shaft, you are gonna have more hanging at the top of the boat. The only problem that this creates is that it looks kind of silly, but other than that you are gonna have alot more shaft in choppy water but yo will also get to laugh at the guy who doesnt have enough. Happy trail, sorry it was so long, hope it helps.